DS3 Crossback: PSA Group's most luxurious compact SUV.

Ronak Surana
Aug 18, 2019
7 min read

Updated: Jan 2, 2020

Virtual Tour of DS3 Crossback Interiors and Features

+ Looks - Design limits practicality

+ Interior quality - Handling

+ Features - Pricey

+ Driving comfort - Brand value against

+ Customization options competitors

Can the latest offering from the premium marque of the PSA Group stand its ground against strong competition from the Audis and Minis in the premium compact SUV segment?

Introduction

The DS3 Crossback is the newest entrant in the competitive premium compact SUV segment from the French brand DS. I review the Crossback to find out if it can create its own identity and stand its ground against rivals from more established brands. Let’s find out. Launched earlier this year, the first impression looking at the DS3 Crossback is that of a stylishly distinct looking SUV with a badge not seen on many cars on the road. The DS brand came into existence after being separated from the Citroen brand in 2009 to establish more premium offerings from the house of parent company PSA Group, which owns Citroen, Peugeot and Vauxhall. The DS3 Crossback is the second car to be fully developed under the DS brand after the DS7 SUV. While the name DS3 already exists under the brand as a premium hatch rebadged from Citroen, the Crossback will soon replace the decade-old hatch.

Design

The 3 Crossback takes an unconventional approach to its design, influenced by its French roots. The car with its compact dimensions looks like a jacked-up hatch that is more crossover than SUV. With its high stance it makes its presence felt on the road and stands out with its distinct design elements. The overall design of the car is sharp with strong lines on the hood and sculpted angular creases on the sides of the car, giving it a lot of character. The large blacked out grille and the snake-like vertical DRLs on the front grab attention instantly. The rear is more conventional and rounded with beefy bumpers, twin-exhaust pipes and LED tail lamps. The most striking design feature though is the shark fin design on the B-pillar borrowed from the 3 hatchback. Other elements include an all-LED headlamp cluster with matrix LEDs on the higher variants and gimmicky flush fitting door handles with proximity sensors which retract when you are within 1.5 meters the car with the key, previously seen only on more expensive cars like the Range Rover Velar and Teslas. The variant driven was the Performance line, which came with optional 18-inch alloy wheels in onyx black which somehow looked like carbon-fibre, adding some sportiness to the look. Also part of the package were Performance badging on the front doors making it stand out from other variants in the lineup.

Interiors and features

Inside, the car takes inspiration from the diamond design visible in DS’s logo. The diamond theme runs across its most of the car’s interiors, including the start-stop button, climate control and infotainment controls, the digital instrument cluster and the aircon vents. The fit and finish is top-notch and the car feels premium inside with the use of soft touch materials on the dash. The Performance line is the sporty version and makes use of Alcantara on its seats, which also appears on the top half of the dash along with the Performance badging. While most materials feel good to touch, the use of hard plastics on lower parts of the dash and doors let down the overall feel.

While the quirky design language stands out, it negatively impacts the ergonomics of the car’s interiors. For example, the placement of the power window switches on the center console is hard to find and are not easy to use when on the move. Also, the aircon and infotainment controls are touch sensitive and don’t give the ease of use of tactile buttons, especially while driving. Storage space on the inside is limited. The two cup holders on the centre console are the most practical storage bits. The glovebox, door pockets and storage under the armrest are either shallow or oddly shaped and barely usable. The boot space is 350 litres, which is the smallest among its competition. Thankfully, the 60:40 split folding rear seats can increase this to 1050 litres.

The choice of customisation options on the Crossback are limitless. Customers can choose almost everything from upholstery materials and colours, dual-tone roof, alloy wheel colour and patterns to a long list of feature packages to suit individual taste and needs.

The front seats are accommodating and well cushioned to offer good support. The driver gets electronic seat adjustment which helps finding the optimum driving position easy. The car sits high on the ground to give the driver a commanding view of the road. Front and side visibility from the driver’s seat is good although the thick C-pillar does intrude into rear visibility. The chunky leather wrapped steering wheel feels good to hold with the column-mounted paddle shifters large and easy to use. The steering houses controls for the infotainment screen and the driver information display while the cruise control switches are hidden on a stalk behind the steering wheel which are difficult to operate.

Space at the rear is a mixed bag. While the seat is wide and can seat three abreast comfortably, the leg room and head room is a bit cramped even for an average heighted individual. The shark fin design on the B-pillar makes the rear windows very small, hampering the overall airiness of the cabin at the rear and making the space feel smaller than it actually is.

The car comes loaded with latest technology features like a 10-inch HD touchscreen, fully digital cockpit, wireless charging pad for your phone and heads-up display. The 10-inch touchscreen comes with slew of features like Satellite Navigation system, Android Auto, Apple CarPlay and Mirror link. Other connectivity options include two USB-ports and Bluetooth. While the infotainment display is sharp and readable under bright sunlight, it is slow to respond to touch inputs. The car comes standard with an 8-speaker sound system which had great sound quality.

Driving and performance

The car currently comes with one diesel and one petrol engine options, with the petrol available in three state of tunes. A battery electric version, called the E-Tense, is expected to arrive at the end of 2019. The diesel is a 1.5-litre 4-cylinder engine making 99bhp and 250Nm of max torque at 1750rpm. The petrol motor is a 1.2-litre 3-cylinder turbocharged pot tuned to make 99bhp, 129bhp and 153bhp of peak power. These engines produce a max torque output of 205Nm, 230Nm and 240Nm respectively at 1750rpm. The diesel and the base petrol come mated to a 6-speed manual gearbox, while the more powerful petrols make use of the 8-speed automatic gearbox.

In terms of fuel consumption, the diesel is to most effiecient with a claimed fuel efficiency figure of 54.4-62.7mpg. The smallest petrol engine gives between 46.0-52.0mpg, the 129bhp engine ranging between 42.2 and 47.1mpg while the most powerful 153bhp version driven in this test is claimed between 41.7-45.7mpg (all figures based on combined WLTP cycle). While I couldn't drive the test vehicle long enough to get real-world efficiency figures, the car's information display showed a relatively low 34mpg.

I got to drive the DS3 Crossback in its most powerful avatar – the PureTech 155. There is enough power on tap, and its linear delivery makes it easy to drive around the city and a comfortable cruiser on the motorways. There are three drive modes – eco, normal and sport. The eco mode hunkers down the performance considerably, while the sport mode holds gear shifts longer, although throttle response doesn’t feel much different to the normal mode. On any mode, the cabin is well insulated, and the engine refinement allows minimal engine and road noise to find its way inside. Add to that the buttery smoothness and seamless gear shifting of the 8-speed auto box, it is a breeze to drive on open roads.

The Crossback might falter on twisty countryside roads, but it feels right at home on the motorways as well as for city runabouts. While the performance figures are decent, it is the smoothness and linearity of the delivery that are its USP.

The ride is pliant, and even on some rough patches of countryside roads the large 18-inch wheels do well to absorb most bumps. Where the DS falters is on twisty roads. The handling is poor and you feel a lot of body roll around the bends. The light steering makes you feel disconnected to the car and while the 215/60R section tires offer good grip, the car doesn’t give much confidence to carry speeds around tight corners. While one would argue that the SUV wouldn’t be expected to be all that sporty, driving dynamics is clearly not the Crossback’s strong point.

The DS offers a long list of driving assistance and safety features like emergency braking system, blind spot detection, lane keeping assist, speed limit recognition, traffic sign recognition and front and rear parking sensors with 360-degree camera. Most of these features are part of optional packages for lower variants while being standard on higher variants.

Verdict

In conclusion, the DS3 Crossback is a stylish-looking SUV that drives well and feels premium. It compromises functionality for style, adding some funky and gimmicky design elements that take away from practicality. With a range of engine options to choose from, it does provide with a choice in terms of how much power you need. DS’s focus although remains on comfort rather than sportiness, which is a good thing if you are looking for a comfortable SUV for relaxed driving. It also comes packed with features, although many of them are standard only on the more expensive variants. Which brings us to the price.

The DS3 Crossback starts at £21,555 for the base petrol going all the way up to £33,955 for the top of the line La Premiere which comes with all the bells and whistles. DS also offers a myriad of customization options and packs from 10 body colours, three roof colours, nine alloy wheel designs, seven upholstery patterns along with numerous technology and safety packs. A mix and match of variants and options would only make the Crossback dearer. Its closest rivals, the Audi Q2 and MINI Countryman are great all-round cars and come with more established brand names at similar prices. The DS’s appeal against its competitors then lies in its strikingly unique design and long list of features complementing its luxury and comfort in a compact urban crossover.

If you want your car to stand out from the crowd, the DS3 Crossback makes a strong case for itself. Offering a plethora of equipment in a smart overall package, it will keep you and your family comfortable on short and long journeys alike.